Rose Walk

Come, on this dull wet January day, take a stroll with me along Rose Walk. Picture it, the rain has stopped for a while and wet plants glisten with raindrops

I don't often go this way but today I had an appointment for a health check, and this path connects the surgery to my usual walk to Asda.

It is aptly named for rambling rose bushes skirt the allotments along the full length of the walk

If we look closely will we see new leaf buds forming?

Not just leaf buds but flower buds too

and here and there a fully opened rose head so tiny and delicate.

Certainly God is gracious to us, giving us hope of the beauty to come, the promise of abundant life.

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Today I want to say  thank you to my Father God for lifting my spirits with this promise
For speaking to me through His word and for giving me hope.

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I finished my food shopping in Asda and went to look at the clothes in George, surprise, surprise I bought myself something new to wear.

The top isn't pink really it is red and white stripes and the trousers fit at the waist beautifully without elastic in them. that is a wonder indeed.
but... Oh my I have put on weight, I hadn't really noticed it just looking in the mirror but the photo tells the tale.

Nature's Calendar

Wet leaves on the ground, squelching under foot, giving nutrients to the earth beneath

Finding my creativity again.

Weather is still dull and dreary, but I feel a lot better, I have been struggling to find any energy or inspiration to do anything at all for quite some weeks, but I think I may have turned the corner. I am back reading my bible which of course is always a good thing and God does speak through His Word. Not sure yet what He is telling me but I know, that if I listen and go with it, He will reveal His purposes.

In the meantime I must try and stay positive and being creative does help me a lot. I managed to do another paper and things layout yesterday and this one I am rather pleased with. The design is more balanced and feels right. I have used photos that tell a story even though they were not excellent, changing them to black and white helped.


I find that sketches help me a lot when I need inspiration so here is my sketch for this layout. as you see you don't have to follow the sketch exactly but as a guide line.

please feel free to use it if you wish

Nature's Calendar

A bush in my neighbour's garden I believe it is a heather of some kind

The Poxon Boys layout

It was our local crop today and I wasn't sure that I wanted to go but Alli said she would pick me up as usual so decided I would. I always enjoy being out once I am but at the moment never feel like making the effort to go anywhere.
Still I wouldn't have done a paper and glue layout if I had stayed at home so pleased that I went.

Nature's Calendar

The bark of the silver birch, wafer thin like paper.

Rain Rain and more Rain

The weather has been terrible for the last few days, and I have not been able to see any nature photo worth taking so again today's Nature's Calendar is one taken on the 7th of this month.

I do like taking photos of rain drops though

AWOL

My mojo (inspiration) has been missing for sometime I thought it was coming back but I am struggling again, saying that I did manage to do this layout using a sketch from Twisted Sketches. Not one of my best but better than not doing any

Nature's Calendar

It always amazes me that this plant/hedge never sheds it dead leaves until the new ones push them off. I could do with finding out what it is and read up about it.

Nature's Calendar

Just a few

I didn't do much in the way of scrapping during December apart from my JYC album. But I did do just a few and as some were of family I am putting them here so that my daughter can see them.








Not all of them are of family though did this one on the journey up to Edinburgh, literally, as the train was fairly empty I was able to get my computer out and use the photo I took out of the window


I just missed the bus one day just before Christmas and so decided not to wait for the next one as I could walk home before it arrived. So glad I did, walking down this one particular street, so many of the houses had really gone to town with their outside decorations.


and so into the new year at least one of my cats had to feature on a page

Nature's Calendar

Really not sure if these are berries or what but they are the fruit of the ivy and close up like this they look like an inverted acorn. It always amazes me how taking a close up photograph of nature seems to enhance it so much.

scrapping again

I am so pleased that I have been scrapping again, I got so low and had no inspiration at all, but this week I have managed to do two digital layouts that I am pleased with the one that I have already shared and this one.

this was done for the weekly challenge on UKScrappers and the criteria of the challenge
Use at least three patterned papers for some lovely layering :
Use some neglected die-cuts or make your own:
Dig something out of the pile of scraps on your desk and use it on your page:
Ink something with an ink pad you've hardly used:

I used four patterned papers cutting one with the scalloped edges, used the lace flower and shellac flower from the kit I had just made which was still on my programmes desktop

The journalling on the layout tells the story
A professional photograph taken for the youngest child’s first Christmas seems to have been a recurring theme with my family. When I received the photo of Daniel and Ben this year I immediately thought of the one I had of Helen and Neil, and when I came to do this layout I remembered the one of Alan and I

Nature's Calendar

Patterns in a dead tree stump.

Nature's Calendar

On a clear January day when the branches are bare have you ever stopped and listened to the robin sing. He is calling out to the female 'I'm the best' he is shouting out to the rest of the males 'Keep out this is my territory' but to me he is singing a sweet, sweet melody

Freebie Kit

It is ages since I have done a kit. I have been struggling for quite a while with no inspiration or mojo to do anything, but today I have managed to put together a small digital kit. If any one is interested you can download it here


and this is the layout I did using part of it.

Nature's Calendar

Nature's Calendar

I don't know what tree this is or whether these are seed pods or not but they make a good photo and really do depict this time of the year in Nature's calendar. Dry and dead looking but with the promise of new life to come.

Quick Desert

I needed a quick desert tonight. I had really enjoyed my lovely Christmas pudding over the last 4 night and felt bereft so here is a quick recipe that was easy to do.

put a knob of butter and a heaped teaspoon of soft dark brown sugar into a frying pan and melt, add a dash of sherry, a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkling of cinnamon. Slice the banana into the mixture and coat well cook for about 5 minutes. place the banana in a serving dish and pour the syrupy sauce over it, add a good knob of thick double cream and enjoy.

It was simply delicious but I can't think of a name for it. anyone got any suggestions?

Nature Photo

Lichen on a tree trunk

Last of Christmas feasting

I have just finished the last of this year's, well 2010's, Christmas Puddings and even if I do say it myself it was delicious
I actually made two large ones and one small one, I wish I had kept back one of the large ones but the small one has done me 4 deserts this week.

With Rum poured over it and a spoonful of thick double cream

Sunrise

I have a little confession to make this photo was not from this year. Although there was a beautiful sunrise all my photos came out terrible. Not sure why as I rested the camera on a post and usually they are fine. So I used one that I took last year. Same place same position.

In the midst of death there is life

In the midst of death there is life.

When winter cackles and jeers and says all is lost,
When all we see and hear is its dreary mirth,
Look deep and realize that the frost
Gives the energy to the earth.
New life needs the cold, the damp, the snow,
For in hibernation each tree, each seed must grow.
When comes the spring and the scales fall from our eyes,
We gaze again at clear blue skies
And colour all around

Nature Photo

Oh little flower, although your petals are ragged you survived through all that snow and ice and raised your head to the January sky. I had such a surprise when I found you in my garden.

Nature photo

Happy New Year

I was all set to spend the end of the year alone as usual, (quite happy with that) when my son phoned to say they were not going out did I want to come round. So I spend it with a very sleepy son and daughter in law, a very unsleepy grandson and My DIL's mother who had been working all day and felt lethargic.

Rufus being his usual mischievous self

I should be in bed but I’ll string it out as long as I can
What mischief can I get up to, what mayhem can I cause?
A sticky jelly not sure that I like it where shall I put it?
Found another present under the tree, is it for me, what can it be

We had a very lazy new year's evening didn't do anything except watch silly TV and doze didn't even have a drink but I really enjoyed the fireworks from London

As the clock strikes midnight and a new year, new decade begins,
we awake from our stupor to see this wonderful display on the television.
The fireworks from London lighting up the night sky for about 10 minutes

Here I will end my journal for this year. have enjoyed the journey and now ready for a new adventure.
I am going to try and do a photo a day all taken from the natural world and here is my very first one for 2011. I also want to say a big thank you to Mel for the inspiration for the way to display these photos.

Year's end

just a few days left of my JYC pages to upload and I will finish on the 31st as I did last year.

29th A time to reflect it has been a hard time for me this December and I am finding it difficult to find the silver lining.

Last year though the snow had gone and the weather was dreary I still found joy in the natural world around me on the 29th December 2009

I needed another page to even up the album so have done this one of my two companions Samantha and Rudi


A time to reflect on the year just ending, to realise again that the natural world is full of beauty and even on the dullest day there is something worth noting and recording in a photo for all times.

I love taking pictures of the natural world, and a walk down the back lane never fails to give me a thrill and something worth photographing, every month has its special sights. Even when I am away from home I still find plenty of hedgerow flora and fauna to add to my collection of wonderful nature discoveries

Christmas indulgences

Christmas is a time to enjoy some of the special things we like. Family fun, special food and drink. Relax from the everyday activities, play silly games, watch sloppy films on TV a little break from reality for a short while.

A PJ Day

I could have gone to my Son's again, yesterday, I could have got dressed and gone for a walk, I could have done lots of things but no! I had a PJ (pyjama) day. Not got dressed not bothered with cooking just grazed on nibbles and things I could find in the fridge, cocktail sausages, cheese, pickles, savoury biscuits, chocolate biscuits, nuts and sweets. Very silly really but I survived.